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Infectious bird flu survived milk pasteurization in lab tests, study finds. Here’s what to know.
A “small but detectable quantity” of infectious H5N1 bird flu virus was able to survive a common approach to pasteurizing milk, according to new research co-authored by scientists at the National Institutes of Health.
The findings, published Friday in The New England Journal of Medicine, were based on experiments run at the agency’s lab. The researchers note this is not the same as finding infectious H5N1 virus in milk from grocery stores.
So far, officials have not detected infectious virus in any supermarket milk samples.
The finding comes as authorities are still identifying new infected herds in this year’s unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle.
Infections have been detected in cows across farms in at least a dozen states, with most of the positive tests coming from raw milk samples that were teeming with the virus. Authorities have called on states to curb raw milk sales that could spread the virus, and have warned consumers against drinking raw milk.
“The study reflected experimental conditions, and should not be used to draw any conclusions about the safety of the U.S. milk supply,” a Food and Drug Administration spokesperson said in a statement.
In the real world of commercial dairy processing, milk from infectious cows is likely being mixed with milk from healthy cows, diluting the virus and making it less likely there would be enough of it to survive. Technical details of how the milk is pasteurized, as well as additional steps to treat the milk, also cut the risk. Pasteurization involves treating the milk at high temperatures for a period of time to kill contamination.
Results from previous FDA studies of 297 samples of retail dairy products like milk and yogurt did not turn up any infectious virus. Earlier tests found only some harmless fragments of the virus leftover from pasteurization.
Experimental laboratory conditions
“These are more or less experimental laboratory conditions. And we think that mechanical pasteurization in dairy farming will probably be more effective than what we do,” said Vincent Munster, chief of the virus ecology unit at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Munster’s lab in Montana has done work for years studying the ability of viruses to stay infectious in various conditions, including previous work pasteurizing pathogens in milk, like from an outbreak of coronaviruses in camels from Jordan.
In this study, they looked at two approaches of pasteurization, tested on milk with concentrations of H5N1 they added at levels similar to what has been seen from some highly infectious cows.
One pasteurization method they looked at heated milk to 72 degrees Celsius (about 161 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 seconds, similar to the “high temperature short time” method that is used widely across the dairy industry. That yielded milk with what Munster said still had “minute amounts of infectious virus.”
“You’re really talking about like 10 virus particles, whereas the initial starting dose would be something like 10 million or 100 million virus particles,” said Munster.
He also pointed to differences between the lab study and real-world industry practices which give commercial milk pasteurization a step up against the virus.
“There is an initial period in the dairy milk pasteurization that the milk needs to get from let’s say 4 degrees to 72 degrees [Celsius]. And obviously once it starts hitting around 56 degrees, it already starts inactivating the virus,” he said.
The second pasteurization approach — a half hour at 63 degrees Celsius — was more effective. Infectious virus was undetectable within 20 seconds, long before pasteurization was over.
“Pasteurization methods were developed to actually reduce the amount of viable bacteria in milk to prolong fridge life, so to speak. And they’re not necessarily initially designed to inactivate viruses,” said Munster.
Pasteurizing milk longer or at hotter temperatures
Munster thinks that even adding 5 to 10 more seconds of pasteurization could offer the dairy industry a “safety buffer,” ensuring that there’s no active virus leftover in milk even if their raw milk supply turns out to have greater concentrations of infectious virus than the lab’s .
“If you really want to make 100% sure there’s no active virus, increasing the duration even by like 5 to 10 seconds of pasteurization would allow you to actually increase that safety margin,” Munster said.
But an FDA spokesperson said that their testing data so far shows the pasteurization processes used by U.S. dairy companies are effective at killing H5N1. Many companies “use temperatures that are greater, often much greater than the minimum standards,” the spokesperson said, and equipment that more consistently heats milk.
“[T]he United States would hesitate to change pasteurization parameters without data to demonstrate a public health need,” the spokesperson said, warning that changing the standards would affect the flavor of dairy products.
The agency has so far not released results from its own study to validate the pasteurization of raw milk for H5N1, first announced earlier this year. Last month, it cited “the totality of the evidence” in reiterating that “the commercial milk supply is safe.”
The spokesperson said the FDA’s study “is a top priority for the agency” and that they were working to share the results in the near future. The agency is looking to validate “real-world processing conditions” with equipment used in commercial facilities.
“Sound science is critical to informing public health decisions like those made by the FDA related to food safety and we take this current situation and the safety of the milk supply very seriously,” the spokesperson said.
Munster said the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture also have studies looking at pasteurization, among a number of groups that have confirmed heating up milk is often able to fully inactivate the threat from H5N1 virus.
“Fortunately, they do actually inactivate viruses very well. But I think the focus point should be two fold: making sure that pasteurization is up to the task we’re asking from it, and the data suggests that it is, but also that we should minimize any H5N1 positive milk actually coming into these dairy pasteurization,” he said.
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Reverse mortgages are regularly marketed to seniors as a solution for those who want to use equity in their homes as a source of retirement income. An alternative to home equity loans or home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), reverse mortgages work very differently than a typical home loan.
When you take out a reverse mortgage, you receive either a lump sum payment, a fixed monthly payment for a set time, or a fixed monthly payment for the duration of the time you’re in the home. You continue living in the house and must maintain it and pay taxes and insurance, but you don’t have to make mortgage payments. Instead, your loan is repaid from the home’s equity when you sell or pass away.
Reverse mortgages make good sense in certain situations, especially those from the best reverse mortgage companies. With many seniors struggling with high costs — even as inflation cools and interest rates begin to fall — a growing number of retirees could potentially benefit from a reverse mortgage. Unfortunately, not all older Americans understand how they work or know how to decide if a reverse mortgage or HELOC is best.
The good news is that learning some key facts about reverse mortgages can help clear up some of this confusion, and provide more insight to seniors on how reverse mortgages work, how they’re paid for, and when to borrow.
Start exploring the reverse mortgage options available to you here now.
5 important reverse mortgage facts seniors should know
Here are five critical facts to keep in mind for seniors considering a reverse mortgage right now:
You need to be 62 and older
The first key thing to know about reverse mortgages is that only seniors can qualify for them.
As Lisa Gaffikin, a home loan specialist at Churchill Mortgage explains, “a reverse mortgage is intended for borrowers over age 62.”
While there are some limited options for those 55 and over, they are generally for jumbo or proprietary programs only. With most lenders, the age limit is so strict that those who want a reverse mortgage but who share a home with a younger spouse would need to remove the younger spouse’s name from the title.
Check your reverse mortgage eligibility online today.
You’ll be limited in how much you can withdraw
With a traditional mortgage, banks decide how much money property owners can borrow based on their debt and income. Things work differently for a reverse mortgage, with Gaffikin explaining that these loans are often available to seniors with limited funds who might be unable to qualify for a home equity loan or HELOC.
Rather than income or credit scores, lenders set borrowing limits for a reverse mortgage based on age, the interest rate you’re offered on your loan and how much the home is worth. If your home appraises for a high price, if you’re older, or if you qualify for a lower interest rate, you’ll be eligible to borrow more than a younger person or someone whose home isn’t worth as much.
Your loan balance will grow over time
With most mortgage loans, including home equity loans and lines of credit, you make monthly payments and your balance declines over time.
With a reverse mortgage, Gaffikin explains that no monthly payments are necessary, making them an ideal option for those who can’t afford to add another obligation to their plate. However, there are consequences to borrowing and not repaying your loan for years or even decades.
“Unlike a traditional forward mortgage, the loan balance grows over time as interest accrues,” explained Josh Lewis, Certified Mortgage Consultant at The Educated Homebuyer. “This will reduce the equity in the home for your heirs to inherit.”
While Lewis explained that “you will still own your home and leave it to your family as part of your estate,” your loan balance will have grown with years of unpaid interest. Your heirs will need to be able to pay the amount you initially borrowed, plus interest that accrued, either by selling the home or taking out a mortgage of their own to cover the costs.
The good news is, there is some protection against owing too much. “The non-recourse feature ensures neither the borrower nor the heirs will owe more than the home is worth at the time is it sold,” explained Neil Christiansen, a Colorado-based Home Loan Specialist for Churchill Mortgage.
You must fulfill your responsibilities as a homeowner
It’s critical for every senior who takes out a reverse mortgage to understand that this loan comes with responsibilities that must be fulfilled.
“You will still be responsible for paying your property taxes, insurance, and home maintenance,” Lewis explained. “Many seniors don’t realize that failing to do so can lead to foreclosure, even with a reverse mortgage. Improvements to the program in recent years require lenders to confirm your financial ability to pay for these items but it’s an important consideration.”
If you don’t keep up with home maintenance or you miss tax, HOA or insurance bills, the lender will move to take your home. You could also face foreclosure if you don’t live in the home for 12 or more months.
You could face higher costs
Finally, it’s worth noting that reverse mortgages may not come with monthly payments, but that doesn’t always mean they’re affordable in the long run.
“While a reverse mortgage can be a great option, interest rates are typically higher than traditional mortgages, and upfront costs can be significant,” explained Lewis. “Make sure you understand all costs and compare them with other options like a home equity line of credit.”
Seniors interested in a reverse mortgage can help keep their loan reasonable by shopping around carefully to find the right lender. Paying higher costs also may be worthwhile if a reverse mortgage is the only affordable way to tap into equity.
As Gaffikin pointed out, these types of loans can make it possible to stay in your home and lower your monthly obligations — and they’re available even if you have too little cash flow to qualify for a traditional home equity loan or line of credit.
If you do have the money to make monthly payments and want to tap equity, you should consider all the alternatives. You may decide making a monthly payment on a home equity loan or line of credit is worth the tradeoff for a more affordable loan with a balance that declines over time rather than increases.
Ultimately, a lot depends on whether you want to pay the loan costs now or leave them for the next generation — and your financial circumstances while determining which of those options is best for you.
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